


Infinity's Limits

by 50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret



Series: Space Fleet: Infinity [1]
Category: Black Mirror
Genre: AI Nanette Cole, BAMF Nanette Cole, BAMF Shania, Be Careful What You Wish For, Black Mirror: S4e1, Canon Era, Captain Nanette Cole, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Epic, Epic Battles, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, Escape, F/M, Gen, It Gets Worse, Monster of the Week, Nanette Cole and Shania friendship, Nanette Cole angst, Nanette Cole has issues, No Escape, Not A Fix-It, Shania/Nate Packer, The USS Callister, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, U.S.S. Callister, Weapons, Weird Plot Shit, Weirdness, What-If, Whump, Wrongful Imprisonment, ongoing life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 04:22:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13426730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret/pseuds/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret
Summary: Capt. Nanette Cole leads the crew of the USS Callister in an ongoing fight to survive the game that has become their reality.





	1. The Drunk Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crew of the Callister Celebrates their Escape with some drinking

That night, celebrations were in order. No one said so, it was just understood. Nanette sits back in the captains chair, stunned and sips her drink, giggling or punching the air every so often. Shania does the same. Valdack is the one to really keep the mood up. He was cheering, dancing, and doing shots.

Elena, surprisingly was also pretty excited, and was also dancing to the music Kabir has put on. "Dance with me." She says to Nanette "Your pictures were pretty." Nanette takes Elena's outstretched hand and agreeably breaks into a half joking dance.

Nate gets up on the desk and yells, bottle raised in the air  "I'm in the God. Damn. Spacefleet, motherfuckers!"

Dudani rolls his eyes. "Are not," he barely manages to say before Nanette accidentally hits him in the face with a wildly swinging arm. 

"Is too!" Shania yells "You're a big tough spacefleet soldier" she dissolves into laughter. 

***

Valdack is shirtless by now, the top of his suit hanging down over his waist, "Nuh nuh, here lemme show you!" his supposed lecture in how to do a workout is getting pretty physical and he isn't exactly being subtle. Elena seems interested enough though and she goes along with his continued ridiculous poses. 

 

***

It's been a few hours when Shania realizes she hasn't seen Nanette in a while. She wanders over to Nanettes little sleeping pod and knocks. "Nan, honey, are you alright?" 

The door slides open and Nanette is curled up on the bed sobbing. "I can't do this. I can't do this." Shania sits next to her and pulls Nanette into her arms. 

"I wasn't ready to live." Nanette whispers. "I can't do this. I can't keep it up. I can't keep being this." She shudders "I can't I can't. 

"You can." Shania says. 

"They think I can...I'm not a" Nanette's voice disintegrates into a drunken grunt. 

"We'll figure it out. All of us. You've already done more than your part."

"But it's not _over_." Nanette bursts into tears at her own statement.

Shania smiles a little sadly, but there is a triumph to it. "No, Nanette, it isn't over. We're still here." 


	2. The Drunk Time

They've managed to stock up on food, so there's that at least. No one's really sure if, as NPCs, they even need to eat, but no one is eager to find out the hard way and Shania is hoping that she might be able to "finally take a goddamn shit", so she's eating plenty. It turns out that, with the original version of the game, the Callister has a dining room and (thankfully) bathrooms. Valdack is completely lost in the bizarre blue goop he's eating and only comments every once in a while "Food! Real food." Everyone is grinning. They're free. They're finally free. Now on to the next task. Nanette double checks the code before telling anyone. It isn't worth getting their hopes up if she isn't sure.

"I think I can get Walton back." 

Kabir looks uncertain "He burned up."

"Without dying. Technically, his code is still here. I just have to configure it into...something. As it is...he's still burning. We can't just leave him in hell." 

Elena rolls her eyes "You can stop playing the hero now. We need to focus on getting some real weapons so we don't all die while you're playing games." 

Nanette hesitates. It seems wrong but...they do need those weapons. They're sitting ducks for the next gamer with more guns and issues who comes along. "Alright. Fine. But then I get straight back to trying to save Walton."

They navigate to a trading port a ways away on a small planet called "Duuude". Shania and Nanette head down to the surface. The trading center is cold and uncomfortable but it's good to feel the wind on their faces and know that they are here because they choose to be. A player has mostly taken over the planet, but appears to have done so mostly by an unspoken agreement of first-come first-serve, and a willingness to shoot those who expressly threaten his rule. It's a relatively peaceful port, by reputation and according to the signal it blares in every direction welcoming any friendly traders to come in with a small entry tax. A comment forum from the outside world has labeled this planet "dumb and boring" and "Noob daycare", both of which seem promising. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of ship mods being offered. 

   


Eventually they run across a large, showy building with a sign declaring "Tech trade and mods". 

It's mostly empty, but the actual tech being offered looks good, as far as Nanette can tell. It's not anything major, but little adjustments that will make the ship stronger. The character offering the trades smiles at the two of them. It's a big chewbacca looking thing, and something about it says "NPC". "Greetings" sure enough, that's definitely a pre-recorded voice. "Would you care to trade." There's something unnerving about the thing. It's dead eyes. The way they can still see its shoulders rise and fall with breath, but it's a good trade and the thing turns out to be asking a relatively low price. 

They return to the ship when a gunfight breaks out in the street between some bored players but they return with better defenses that will keep them at least a little more safe while Nanette tries to bring Walton out of the hell he's locked himself in, probably forever. 

   



	3. Gamer Girls

"Install shower. Now." Elena's voice leaves no room for argument, and yet the stupid player they're trading with continues to argue.

"Does your boyfriend know you're modding his ship?" To Elena's frustration, the kid sounds genuinely worried.

"Does your girlfriend know she is imaginary?" The kids mouth hangs open for a second before he clicks it shut. 

"Screw you" the kid says, brandishing his blaster.

She shoots the kid down before he can kill her. None of the crew is here in the modded space so she gives herself a second to take a deep breathe before regaining her typical, unaffected attitude. So much for that.

She goes back to the bridge. Nanette has given up on looking hopeful. "You shot another one?" She asks, without looking up from her work. 

"You didn't have to listen to him." Elena says, unfazed. 

" _Elena_ " Valdack pleads "we need a shower."

"Seriously." Kabir adds "Why would they code in sweat?"

"Try having long hair like this." Nanette groans, nodding in agreement. "I have never felt greasier."  She brushes some crumbs off the control panel but gives up halfway and slumps against it. 

"Maybe if you didn't drink so much--" Kabir starts but Nanette cuts him off before he can go on another rant.

"And how exactly do you suggest I cope?" 

"How do any of us cope? You have to pull yourself together." Says Nate. "We have to pull ourselves together." 

It's hearing even  _Nate_ talk back that shocks Nanette into sitting up. 

"I'm sorry. You're right. Of course you're right. Elena why don't we let someone else handle trades from now on?  We'll get that shower at the next trade we can."

"I'll go." volunteers Valdack. 

Elena shrugs but doesn't complain, which is her version of jumping up and down with enthusiasm.  

Nanette sighs "Good. It's amazing how sexist these guys can be, considering there's an actual human woman talking to them. You'd figure it'd at least shock them into shutting up."

 


	4. Warzone

 

The shower has finally been installed when the ship is overrun. Valdack rushes back in. "They're on the ship!" He yells nonsensically. Everyone looks up in confusion for a frozen moment. It is explained a moment later when a flood of gamers spills in after him. They all remain stuck in place for a second before the first shot goes off and bruises the wall. 

Nanette spins on the shooters flooding the bridge and so does Shania. They "kill" two of the first invaders quickly, but more rush up to take their place. 

Valdack screams and there's a...a  _hole_ in his shoulder. He stumbles backwards and his hand clamps over the wound. "Shit!" 

Elena grits her teeth and shoots down another few invaders in a spray of sparked light and lazer bullets. It's hard to take them seriously, but they could be deadly. 

Nate is laughing when he takes a shot to the face. The whole situation is just so surreal. There's lazer guns firing and he's on a damn spaceship and there's no way this can be life or death. And then a bullet hits his jaw and he's screaming and screaming hurts like hell. 

It can't be happening. 

Another round of light-bullets grazes Kabir's cheek and he stumbles back across the floor. "Fuck!" 

Another shot doesn't hit Nanette, but it hits her gun and it flies from her hand across the floor. 

"Cover me, Shan!" She blurts out and dives for the gun. 

Shania fires two perfect shots and kills another couple of invaders.

Nanette picks up her own gun again and kills another few with incredible accuracy. Her adrenaline is screaming even though, well, she can't  _really_ , have adrenaline.

She looks up and...the invaders...they're all lying on the floor, dead. She goes over and shoots them, one by one, just to make sure.

But...

"Damn. We need to find some med supplies or something." 

 


	5. Warzone Part 2

Nanette is pouring over as many forums as she can, looking for a healer. Hacks. Videos on stitching up bullet wounds. Anything. 

Shania keeps flitting back and forth between the rooms where the injured are propped up on pillows. Valdack keeps claiming he can still help, which is bullshit. Nate, is practically unresponsive, only howling or grunting with pain with the movements of the Callister. 

Finally, Nanette finds  a player who seems at least willing to consider helping. He's a long ways away but he'll have to do. They set up a meeting on a planet in between their respective locations and Nanette and Shania pilot the ship ahead.

 

~~~

 

The planet is cold but the air there is clear and clean. The player, Anthony, seems willing enough to help, if a little under-qualified. He's...he's seventeen. Screw it, he's the best chance they've got. Anthony shakes Nanettes hand with what is at least a fairly professional demeanor. "You must be the cap." He says.  Nanette tries to look at the positives: He's probably not going to get weird and racist because he's black, or his player character is. He's dedicated enough to the game that he's set up shop in the forums. All the reviews and messages before said that he'd been helpful. Too many to background check but that's a good sign at least. 

Anthony hisses in sympathetic pain when he sees the injured crew. 

"Alright why don't we move them up to my hospital and..."

"No." Nanette makes a snap decision.

"Huh?"

"We stay on the Callister."

Anthony looks a little annoyed but ultimately just shrugs. "Okay, whatever, but I'm gonna have to get some supplies."  

~~~

When he unwraps the makeshift bandages from around Nate's jaw he sucks in a sympathetic breath. "You guys might wanna put off any trade plans for the next few weeks."

Nanette nods quietly. It's not a bad planet to be stuck on. She likes exploring but at least this planet seems relatively safe. 


	6. Losing Sleep

When it finally settles in that they aren't going anywhere for a while, Nanette allows her crew to be moved to the hospital. She and Shania are also set up in one of the unused rooms with a couple of hospital beds. Shania spends most of her time visiting the others and periodically checking up on Nanette every few hours. 

After the third or fourth time that day Nanette sets aside what she's working on. "Seriously, Shan, I'm fine, I swear. I really need to focus on getting Walton back."

"You need your rest for that."

"I need to figure it out already." Nanette slumps. "You're probably right." She admits after a second."

"Course I am, stupid" Shania beams. "No take a nap, c'mon." Nanette gets into the bed and pulls up the hospital sheets. Shania is satisfied and goes off for one last visit to Nate before bed. Nanette wishes she could sleep. She stares at the ceiling. She's so tired that she doesn't even notice the hours flow by or Shania get into her own bed across the room. She's so tired that she can't fall asleep. When it's almost light out, she finally gives up and goes back to her whiteboard and various holograms and a notebook that won't shut up. 


	7. Vacation

Nanette ends up taking the rest of the week off too. She doesn't mean to, exactly, it just sort of happens. She sits in her room and sleeps and goes online and watches tv and does nothing and it takes over her. She knew this would happen. This was why she didn't take a break in the first place. Screw this. She's getting back to work right now, she thinks now and again. She never does though. She ends up scrolling through her other self's Instagram and crying instead. Wow. Not pathetic at all. 

She falls asleep and wakes up at random times. Shania has taken over checking on the progress of the others. 

She should be working today. She makes a spam account and messages her other world self. No reply. She sits there waiting. It's pretty damn annoying but she can't say it's a surprise. 

She dreams that she is trapped in a giant beach ball, and it keeps going up and down and it doesn't run out of air or anything she just can't help where it goes and she keeps trying to escape but she can't. 

She takes to counting backwards from ten, when the panic sets in. When she reaches zero she starts over again. 

She dreams that she has died and she is trying to be reborn but she can't materialize into a baby the way she is supposed to. 

She dreams she is in hell. 

She wakes up one morning, and she knows what the problem is. She doesn't have the answer, but she knows the problem and she can start looking for how to fix it. 

Walton keeps being burned away as soon as he re-materializes.

 

 

 


	8. Problem Solving

The question is, how the hell is she supposed to fix that? Mods are nearly impossible to implement outside of a closed game, and closed games can only be created from the outside, by people who know what they're doing. She could try to blackmail herself again, but having to coordinate from the inside as well would be nearly impossible. As soon as Kabir is up and walking on his own, she pulls him away to go back and forth on possible solutions. 

"Can't this wait? I should be resting."  He complains, nonetheless leaning forward to read the displays she's brought him. 

"Walton should be resting." 

"We don't even know if it's possible to get him back."

"Then we'll find out." 

"Fine" Kabir grabs the display pad away from her and scrolls through. "Give me a week or so to look over these. I'll tell you if I come up with anything." 

"A week?"

"Yes, Nanette, a week. We're trying to do something that's never been even theorized about before and I'm currently injured, so if it's alright with you, I'll take a week." 

"Fine. But don't waste any time." 

"Rest isn't a waste." 

Okay. So maybe he needs rest like she does. Yeah. Of course. Nanette slumps down in the chair beside his bed. "Yeah. Yeah of course. I'm sorry, Kabir, that was I just..."

"Okay. Don't worry about it." He says. "Iether we'll fix it or we'll do our damnedest. Okay?" 

Nanette nods. "Yeah. Yeah you're right. Sorry." 

 

 


	9. Fix

After a few days, Kabir goes over everything. This actually might work. The issue is, turning the thing off from the outside. Anyone who goes in there now is just going to get burned up too. Or if they could find a way to slow down the burn. 

He tells Nanette as much when they have lunch together. She nods. "I know It's just...how...I mean, if we could have done that from the start we would have." 

"Well, it's all we've got." 

"Maybe if we overloaded the system." She suggests.

"The ship would explode."

She sighs and slumps forward in her chair. "Shit. There's gotta be a way."

Kabir would argue that there does not technically, logically, have to be a way and this may very well be impossible, but Nanette has done the impossible before. 

By the next day, everyone is ready to leave. 

"Man, how'd you do this so quick?" Nanette asks. She'd estimated another month at least for full recovery.

She expects Anthony to tell her it's a trade secret or something but he shrugs and says "Just meddled with the game a little. Keep it between you and me, yeah?" And winks.

It isn't til later, when they're back off the planet and she's staring up at her ceiling trying to fall asleep that it hits her. He was able to heal them because _everything_ is a part of the game. Everything is technology based.  _Even them._ She doesn't have to make the ship burn slower, she needs Walton to heal _faster_.


	10. Puzzle

She rushes out to work on this. There has to be a way to do this. It takes hours for her to find _what_ she would even need to change. The problem is, actually doing it looks to be nearly impossible. And one thing wrong and...well it wouldn't be good. If she does one thing wrong, Walton will probably be better off burning for eternity. Not to mention, actually just getting this to shift at all...how the hell is she supposed to do that? 


	11. Wake-up Call

It hurts. That's the first thing he knows. He hasn't been able to formulate a thought in a long time. Not a real thought. Just feelings. The second thing he knows is that he's still screaming. The third thing he knows is that he can feel himself burning still. After that he loses count and sits up. He puts the settings back. He's alive. He's not burning. He's alive. He curls up onto his side. He should get out soon. Go see the rest of the crew. Maybe they need him. He falls asleep. 

When he gets around to actually leaving, when he finally heads back to the bridge, everything is different. The mods are gone. Did they win? They must have won. Then he sees the crew. They're frozen at their posts. A message flashes on the screen. "Walton. We've redirected our power to increase your healing abilities. Enter this code to redistribute our energy. Underneath, because it can't get any fucking weirder, is a fucking recaptcha code. He types it in.

Everyone is surrounding him. Chattering. What even happened? They're explaining all at once. Did he ask out loud or is it just an obvious question?

It's at this point, now that he's finally safe and entirely overwhelmed, that he lets himself slump down in the big Captain chair, and fall asleep. 


End file.
